YESSSS. You summarized and countered this national trend (more like an epidemic) perfectly! We always hear so much about how the STEM field and the seemingly incredibly urgent task of making sure a “suitable” percentage of women occupy this field and I always had qualms about it, and you’ve detailed the problematic nature of this initiative well. In contemporary America, I have noticed it becoming increasingly common that hiring people for their talent/potential for contribution has been overshadowed by meeting diversity quotas for example. There is no logic to this, but for some reason, in our day and age, you must cling to these diversity norms and never challenge them lest you inadvertently garner the label of being backwards, unethical, or “using your privilege”. I love how you put the national push for diversity and “leveling the playing field” into perspective. We ARE “celebrating the mundane”, as you put it and it’s getting us nowhere! Thank you for bringing clarity to an issue that lacks voices and that everyone is afraid to talk about.